For a special exhibition at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art titled "Conversations: African and African American Artworks in Dialogue," legendary comedian (and television's greatest dad) Bill Cosby and his wife of 50 years, Camille, will donate over 300 works of art from their private collection. The Cosbys have spent the last four decades collecting works by African American artists, including Faith Ringgold, Elizabeth Catlett, Gerard Sekoto, Henry Ossawa Tanner, Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, Beauford Delaney, Loïs Mailou Jones, Jacob Lawrence, Keith Morrison, Augusta Savage, and Alma Thomas, and now their collection will be shown alongside important works from the museum's own collection in an exhibition curated by David C. Driskell, Adrienne L. Childs, Christine Mullen Kreamer, and Bryna Freyer.
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In a statement, Bill Cosby said, "It’s so important to show art by African American artists in this exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art. To me, it’s a way for people to see what exists and to give voice to many of these artists who were silenced for so long, some of whom will speak no more."
The exhibition is scheduled to open on Nov. 9 and will show through early 2016 as a part of the museum's 50th anniversary programming. Check out the video below of Bill and Camille Cosby talking about their collection and head to the National Museum of African Art website for more information.
[via Artnet]
